Anyone on the Alternative Protocol?

This is my second day in the first week on the Alternative Protocol. I needed to start slowly because I am a diabetic and on coumadin and my Dr wanted more control on my blood levels. So far so good.
The diabetic part is not a big concern but my INR levels are. I have a blood disorder (Protein S deficiency) and have to be careful that I don't fall too low as my blood will clot and it is very dangerous if I fall out of therapeutic levels. I am doing my best to go slow at first and monitor levels weekly to keep me safe.
I believe I will be just fine and I need to lose this weight for my better health. I am 58 years young, 5'6" and 271 pounds. Been overweight the last 29 years but this last year gained 20 pounds and I am really feeling it.
I'm looking for some support with the Alternative Plan but know I will also find it with those on the regular protocol. We are all heading in the same direction eh?
Thank you for all of the wonderful weight loss stories, encouragement and inspiration I have found so far. I am really excited by all of the results and learning about how to be creative with recipes and ideas.

Welcome, Pat (hawndragon)! My boyfriend did the alternative protocol most of the time he was on the plan for all 3 phases (it is a given in phase 4). As a man, he will lose fat more rapidly than any female. He still had large losses every week. When I lost 2 lb on the normal protocol , he would lose 4-5 on the alternative. He chose the alternative so that he could continue working out and playing sports without stalling his weightloss by over doing it. He was really happy with his choice. Please let me know if you have any questions about the official IP alternative protocol. He lost 50 lb in the same time I lost my first 30. Good luck.

Please let me know if you have questions with the alternative protocol. I have collected all the info I could find to help out my Bf and keep him on track. Good luck and I'm glad you are off to a good day 2. Now on to many more!

Please let me know if you have questions with the alternative protocol. I have collected all the info I could find to help out my Bf and keep him on track. Good luck and I'm glad you are off to a good day 2. Now on to many more!

Thanks so much for replying. This leaves me very hopeful. I have chosen not to include the fruits daily, which is an option. I do have s/F yogurt for one choice in the am then do a grain with dinner in the pm. So far so good. I haven't jumped on a scale and won't for the first week. I feel good and am not starving at all. I like that! Will let you know what the scale shows on Monday. Thanks again!

Thanks so much for replying. This leaves me very hopeful. I have chosen not to include the fruits daily, which is an option. I do have s/F yogurt for one choice in the am then do a grain with dinner in the pm. So far so good. I haven't jumped on a scale and won't for the first week. I feel good and am not starving at all. I like that! Will let you know what the scale shows on Monday. Thanks again!

Keep us posted on your progress. I'll look out for your posts in the daily forum.

Hi I googled, found 3 Fat Chicks and your thread, so I just joined...I am a Type 1 diabetic and am having such a hard time losing weight... I have gone on WW diet in the past ...and lost weight BUT the cost to me (loss of my diabetic control) is too high. I would just like to talk to someone who understands. This morning I just learned about the Alternate Protocol ...I have previously asked a clinic that does the Ideal Protein Weight Loss but they told me they would not take me because I am Type 1...I am open to anyone's suggestions. Hope I hear back from you!!

Hi I googled, found 3 Fat Chicks and your thread, so I just joined...I am a Type 1 diabetic and am having such a hard time losing weight... I have gone on WW diet in the past ...and lost weight BUT the cost to me (loss of my diabetic control) is too high. I would just like to talk to someone who understands. This morning I just learned about the Alternate Protocol ...I have previously asked a clinic that does the Ideal Protein Weight Loss but they told me they would not take me because I am Type 1...I am open to anyone's suggestions. Hope I hear back from you!!

If you notice, the last post before yours on this thread was 2 years ago. I've had very little luck finding others on the alternative protocol. I just recently switched to it due to hypolgycemia. I think there may be one person on the alternative protocol that I'm aware of, plus he's been on the diet a long time, so I'm going to see if I can get him to chime in.

Wow thanks, my bad... i am terribly new to this stuff... so my partner was just diagnosed as hypoglycemic and it certainly is simliar to my diabetic episodes... how are you doing?

I am doing much better with the alternative protocol. I was having energy problems big-time with the normal IP protocol. I am losing about the same amount of weight on the alternative protocol as far as I can tell. It's only been 2 weeks since I switched, though. But I have more energy and feel better on the alternative protocol. I did the normal protocol for 16 weeks and never felt quite right on it physically. I think if I had it to do over again, I'd start with the alternative protocol.

The real test for me will be when I go off IP into maintenance and see what happens to my blood sugar then. I was in a crazy carb-addiction blood-sugar crashing cycle before IP. I think if I do maintenance as recommended by IP, I will have broken that cycle and will be able to get a true grip on my hypoglycemia as IP maintenance is all geared towards normalizing your insulin and blood sugar.

Hi, all. I am an IP - and 3 Fat Chicks - newbie. I am excited to hear that there may be an Alternative Protocol available!

My mom has been following my IP progress closely and I think she would be open to trying. But cost issues aside, she has diabetes and I have had my doubts as to whether the program would be safe for her. Obviously, she's got to be working with her doctor, but I did wonder.

I will have to ask my coach if our location offers the Alternative Protocol at my next weigh in.

Hi, all. I am an IP - and 3 Fat Chicks - newbie. I am excited to hear that there may be an Alternative Protocol available!

My mom has been following my IP progress closely and I think she would be open to trying. But cost issues aside, she has diabetes and I have had my doubts as to whether the program would be safe for her. Obviously, she's got to be working with her doctor, but I did wonder.

I will have to ask my coach if our location offers the Alternative Protocol at my next weigh in.

I would be surprised if they don't, as it is very similar to the regular protocol except that you are allowed 3 additional food items with carbs, one at each meal, to prevent you from going into ketosis. The alternative gives a list of the carb items that are allowed and related rules. If you look on the sticky about the phases of ideal protein, I believe you will find the alternative protocol phase 1 sheet.

Had a hard time finding this tread. I kept finding ones that were using alternative products. FOr those looking there is a PDF you can download just by googling ideal protein alternative plan. It is the same as the one my coach gave me. I am starting IP again tomorrow, I went off for a year and really only gained a little, but right in the middle!! I can't wait to lose that belly flab again and feel smaller!! I will be doing the Alternative plan because I have started working out more and don't want to lose that momentum and motivation. Anyone have any good stats on how much they have lost doing the ALT plan? I hope I will lose as I did before.
Have a great day!!

My husband is a Type 1 Diabetic and doing the Alternative IP Protocol with Alternative Products..so he's DOUBLY Alternative. He lost 24 lbs the first 5 weeks he was on, but has stalled in the past 3 weeks, HOWEVER, I measure him and he is losing inches (so it's really NOT considered a "Stall"). He follows the Alternative Protocol sheet I downloaded for him off the sticky and is sticking to it. He does a drink with two pieces of whole grain toast in the morning, a packet, two cups of veggies, and some LF yogurt at lunch then his protein and veggies at dinner (he doesn't do another member from the third group for dinner), then he'll have some apple cinnamon soy puffs for snack at night.

I began mid feb doing alternative protocol and products and I'm down 25 lbs. I'm actually phasing off of metformin. I was diagnosed with type 2 3 years ago and finally made the commitment to myself to get healthy at 52 years old. Better late than never I guess.